Judging Kit Quilts

Today's post is regarding kit quilts.  I was recently asked why a judge wouldn't judge a kit quilt.  I don't know of any judge that has refused to judge anything that the venue had in a category.  Kit quilts can have their own category or they can be included in one of the general categories.  The decision is up to the hosting venue.
 

A judge is under the direction of the guidelines set by the venue (guild, fair etc.).  It is not the judge’s job to determine what will be judged.   The venue sets the categories for the judge to evaluate.  (My guild has a category for kit quilts.)

If a category has been created for kit quilts it is up to the person entering the quilt to be honest about whether or not they are entering a kit quilt.  The judge is taught to judge what is presented to them.  If there is a question about an entry in a category the judge may discuss it with the venue representative to possibly move the quilt to another category (this usually occurs when size or genre is unclear).  The judge should not determine whether the quilt is a kit - the judge did not make the quilt. There are so many kits available today that it would be impossible for a judge to know what was a kit and what wasn't. The judge and the venue representative must rely on the word of the person entering the quilt.

 

 So - remember - the venue sets the categories. The judge works within the categories.   As a venue representative in charge of judging if you want kit quilts separate from  non-kit quilts - simply create a Kit Quilt category.

 Hope that clears up a little bit about kit quilts.  

Jody